Dearica Hamby is going to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Hamby, the Los Angeles Sparks forward who’s having a career year, will fill in on the American women’s 3×3 basketball team after Cameron Brink, also of the Sparks, suffered a torn ACL on June 18. Brink will miss the rest of the 2024 WNBA season.
The-two time WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year (2019 and 2020), Hamby is currently averaging 17.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Sparks. After All-Star campaigns in 2021 and 2022, Hamby is likely to be named to the 2024 All-Star team as well. The 2024 All-Star game will pit the league’s All-Stars against the Olympic women’s 5-on-5 team.
Hamby will join Hailey Van Lith, Rhyne Howard and Cierra Burdick on 3×3, where the Americans are the defending gold medalists. The 3×3 event made its debut at the Tokyo Olympics.
The 30-year-old Hamby has previous USA Basketball experience with both 3×3 and 5-on-5, helping the Americans win the gold medal at the 2023 FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup in Puerto, where she was named tournament MVP after averaging 6.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and leading the team in total key assists, with 10.
Hamby is one of just three WNBA athletes in the history of the 28-year-old league to return to play after giving birth multiple times. She has two children, Amaya (7) and Legend (1).
Email Lindsay Schnell at lschnell@usatoday.com and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dearica Hamby to replace Cameron Brink at Olympics in 3×3 basketball
